As I write this post, we are in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. My family and I have been self quarantined for just over a month now and, well, I guess you could say we’ve gone a bit stir crazy. I was due for a haircut right before the stay at home order came down, which I then had to cancel.

When it became clear that we’d be sheltering in place for more than a month, probably more, I decided eh, why not, let’s have my husband cut my hair! My husband, who has never once in his life cut anyone’s hair or had any desire to do so. That husband. Will cut my hair.

Crazy idea, I know. But then I got an even crazier idea.

Originally, I was just going to get my long hair trimmed a few inches. Then it dawned on me – no one is going to really see what my hair style looks like up close while we’re practicing social distancing. And a quick check with a tape measure confirmed that I had enough extra length to allow for 8+ inches to be chopped off. So that’s when the lightbulb went off:

I decided to donate my hair for charity.

While this may seem like a totally hair-brained scheme (sorry for the pun), I have actually done this once before, many years ago. That time, I went to a professional hair stylist, but had my hair also cut into a short bob and 8+ inches of it was donated to a charity that makes wigs for children suffering from hair loss.

The reason for their hair loss is typically cancer. But it can also be other health issues including autoimmune disorders like alopecia.

How does it help the environment to donate hair for charity?

There are a few reasons why getting a short hair cut helps the environment. I’ll get into the specific charity that benefits the environment below. But regardless of if you donate hair for charity or not, there’s several positive aspects to keeping your hair short:

 

Saves Water

Longer hair takes longer to wash. Therefore, you’re taking longer showers and using up more water. By having shorter hair, you’re reducing your water usage and waste.

 

Reduces Usage Of Haircare Products

Shorter hair means using less shampoo, conditioner, hair de-tangler sprays, and possibly other haircare products as well. While there are natural non-toxic versions of these products, many of the mainstream versions include toxic chemicals, plastic-based additives like microbeads, and other ingredients that are harmful to the environment, especially once they enter the water system. So, any opportunity we have to reduce our dependence and usage of these products is a win for the environment.

 

Replaces Synthetic Alternatives

By donating hair to be made into something useful, that’s one less synthetic version of the same product that is necessary. Just like how reusing existing items gives them new life and keeps them out of the landfill for at least one more cycle, when you donate hair for charity you’re creating a natural product that takes the place of a need for a plastic-based facsimile.

There are probably many more reasons why it helps the environment to get a short cut and donate your hair for charity, but these are a good start. So what’s the next step?

 

I researched which charities were the best to donate my hair to.

There are a few different reputable charities that create wigs from donated hair. I wanted one that would give the wig to a person in need at no charge to them. The top options for this are:

Wigs For Kids – Does exactly what its name implies, at no charge to the children’s families. They rely entirely on hair and financial donations. The only caveat is that they require hair to be at least 12+ inches long and free of all dyes and treatments. That could be a dealbreaker for some people.

Children With Hair Loss – This 501(c)3 also donates wigs to children in need for free, with the option to have a replacement wig every year until they turn 21. That’s pretty great. They require hair donations of at least 8+ inches and prefer it to be non-chemically treated but will accept color-treated hair. They also accept grey hair which can be an issue for other hair charities.

Hair We Share – Based out of my home state of New York, this charity accepts hair of at least 12+ inches. While they don’t accept highlighted or bleached hair, it can be dyed with natural colors. They also accept grey hair. One neat feature of this charity is that they offer a “ponytail tracking program.” For a minimum $125 donation, they will send you a photo of your hair once it’s been turned into a wig and – if the recipient agrees – a photo of them wearing your wig. Note that they also require a mandatory $25 donation along with your hair donation.

Locks Of Love – This is perhaps the most well-known hair donation charity. It accepts donations of 10+ inches. Colored or permed hair is acceptable. They have come under scrutiny in the past however for their practice of selling off any donated hair that doesn’t meet their exact requirements. They do this in order to subsidize the cost of giving away wigs to needy children, rather than relying purely on financial donations like other charities. However, LoL states that they never charge their recipients money for the wigs, which is the most important piece.

 

You can also donate hair for charity that directly benefits the environment.

Matter of Trust collects hair (including animal fur and fleece) and makes them into hair mats that are used to clean up oil spills. They accept hair of any length, color, treatment, and style. This is ideal for hair salons that sweep up bagful of snipped hair every day, or pet groomers that shave fur off by the poundful.

The resulting hair mats are also used in storm drains to keep motor oil drip spills out of our waterways, and piled up on beaches to protect the sand from pollution. Smaller quantities can be used as filtration systems, in gutters, drip pans, and for classroom demos.

This option is ideal if you don’t have enough hair length to qualify for the wig charities. It also helps to keep synthetic oil spill clean up products out of our water and land.

 

Time to make the cut

Thankfully, my husband did not watch this viral video of a surfer dude doing his own bowl cut using rusty scissors and a carburetor mirror. It’s a funny watch though, to see this guy confidently give himself one of the worst haircuts I’ve ever seen in my life.

 

 

I washed my hair to make sure it was clean and it back in a ponytail. Then I sat back and let Edward Scissorhands do his work.

 

 

We measured it to determine how much length I was able and willing to give. We ended up with just about 10 solid inches total, not including the extra inch above the rubber band keeping it all together.

 

After a big breath and a silent goodbye to my long hair, I handed my husband our sharpest set of scissors, and let him get to work.

 

 

The initial result was a little rough, but don’t worry! He evened it out later after this photo was taken. You can see the general length here though. Just above my shoulders, in a smart bob. No regrets at all.

 

I’m super happy to have short hair right now!

It’s starting to get warmer here in SoCal and I don’t have to bother with putting it up in a ponytail or bun to stay cool. It also makes my morning routine much shorter than it used to be, which is helpful because with my kids around all day long I don’t have much time (or need) to spend time getting ready in the mirror.

 

 

I’ve done several Zoom calls with friends since going short and have gotten compliments on the cut, even more so when I tell people it was done on a lark in our backyard.

 

Where did I decide to donate hair for charity?

In the end I made my decision based on how much hair I was able to give. Because I had just barely 10 inches, I decided to send it to Children With Hair Loss since they accept as little as 8+ inches. I hope the resulting wig makes a child in need very happy. Now, let’s just hope this self quarantine period doesn’t last so long that I am able to do another round of hair donation!

 

• charity